Mowing-machine.



J. W. BRUCE. MOWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION II'LED SEPT. 6. 1913.

1 1 05,751 Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTIJR WITNESSES:

BMW 5% THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PNOT0-L|THO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

J. W.'BRUCB.

MOWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED SEPT, e, 1913,

1, 1 05,75 1 Pa ented Aug. 4, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I g5 J0 JJ 5 2 9 II n H 1 15 7 3 19 l 1 6 8 i 12 h a J; 1 I ff 29 17 -Z l i2: 15 an 24 14C: 1 mm m m 16 E 1 fig g I 1 J iNvENTn M agg ATTORNEY.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. FHCTOLITHUH WASHINGTON. D C- UNITE. STATES PATENT (DFFIGE.

JAMES WESLEY BRUCE, OF OZARK, OHIO.

MOWING'r-MACHINE.

mower.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedAu 4, 1914.

Application filed September 6, 1913. Serial No. 788,463.

To all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns /Vnsnnr BRUCE,

Machines, of which the following is a speci-.

fication.

This invention relates broadly to improvements in mowing machines, and specifically to a mower attachment for a self-propelled vehicle.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a mower attachment for traction vehicles, which possesses various marked and distinct advantages over the common types of horse-drawn mowing machines, and whichis simple and durable in construction.

Other objects of the invention will hereinafter be pointed out or made apparent.

In describing the invention, reference is herein had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 of the same, taken on the hne 3-3, Fig. 2;

and Fig. .4 is a transverse section on the line said vehicle, as by suitable clamps 2 which loosely encircle said shaft sons to permit of rotation of said shaft, are downwardly and forwardly inclined members 3, which support the parts constituting the essential features of the present invention. Said members 3 may either be integral with or attached to a stationary housing 4:, or they may be formed integral with a plate 5 which underlies and supports said housing, as herein shown. Said housing has a pair of parallel longitudinal bores 6 extending therethrough, and mounted in each of said.

bores is asemi'rotatable sleeve7 which has fixed upon its rear pro ecting end a gear or pinion S, the purpose of which will pres-y ently be explained. Fixed to, or formed iutegral with, the projeetingfront end '7 of each sleeve 7 is a laterally directed bar 9 which constitutes a support for a cutter-bar is a substantially horizontal section 10 of a common type and which is provided with the usual knife-guards 11. A toothed rack 12 of short length is carried by the rear edge of each cutter-bar 10 in operative engagement with a pinion 13 which is mounted upon an upright pin 14: carried by the supporting bar 9 at a suitable point. A toothed rack 15 is also in operative engagement with each pinion 13, the same being formed adjacent to the front end of a rod 15 which is longitudinally movable through the interior of the adjacent sleeve 7. Said rods 15 have their rear ends suitably swiveled in a cross-head which is constituted, in thepresent instance, by rigidly connected members 16 and 16 and which is connected either by an eccentric rod or pitman, as 17 (the latter being shown in the drawings) to a rotary shaft 18, whereby a reciprocatory motion is communicated to said rods 15 for imparting, through the intermediate mechanism, a like motion to the two cutterbars 10. The shaft 18 is suitably journaled, as in bearings 19 provided on the members 3 and is driven in any appropriate manner, as by intermeshing gears 20 and 21 carried by the shafts 1 and 18, respectively.

In order to avoid the leaving of a narrow unmowed strip between the adjacent ends of the independently operating cutter bars 10, means is provided for separating the grass in advance of the approaching cutters and for inclining the same laterally in opposite directions to bringit withinthe range of the knives of said cutter-bars. While any appropriate means for effecting such separation and inclination of the standing grass may be employed, I have herein illustrated a pair. of oppositely disposed tapered sheetmetal fingers 24: which extend forward to a point in advance of the cutter-bars, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. Aprons 22 hinged,as shown at 223 in Figs. 1 and 4, to plates 24 mounted on the housing 4, at opposite sides, overlie and shield the pinions 13, the arrangement of said aprons on hinges being designed to permit the bars 9 whichsupport the cutter bars to be elevated without hind 'ance, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 and as will now be explained.

Pivotally mounted upon the top of the housing 4t at points adjacent to the front end of the latter, as at opposite sides of a fixed upright lug 25, are the front ends of a pair of levers 26 whereby the independent elevation ofthe supporting bars and the cutter bars to upright, or semi-upright, posi- Cat , vehicle.

tions, as shown 1n dotted lines in Fig. 4,

I may be eiiected, as when it is desired: to raise one or both of said bars above an obstrucn.

tion or for cross-country movement of the The rear ends of said levers are lovcatecl at a convenient point for manipulation by the operator or driver of the vehicle, and each is preferably provided with, a foot pedal '27 for facilitating foot operation thereof. 5 Said levers are yieldably supported in an elevatedposition, as shown in Fig. i

2, by appropriate means, as by coil springs 28 interposed between said levers and the top face of the housing. Connected to each levery26 is a rack-bar 29 which depends downward behind the rearend of the housing t and stands in mesh with the adj acent' gear wheel or pinion 8, which as hereinbe- I tore mentioned, is fixed upon the rear end of one of the sleeves 7. Thus, as is apparent, depression of one of the levers 26 against the resistance ofl'ered by the supporting springs 28,will, through the interv meshing rack-bar 29 and pinion 8 associated therewith, partially rotate in an inward di- 5 rection the corresponding sleeve 7 which carries one of said bars 9, resulting in elevating the latter'to anextent corresponding I proportionately, withthe extent of the depression of said lever.

ing pushed by'the members 8, the same will readily rise and lower as slight ground elevations-or depressions are encountered, and VVlll consequently act to cut at a substan-j tially even height above the; ground.

It will be readily apparent that the members 3 may be connected to any suitable part of the vehicle other than the drive shaft 1, inwhich casethe latterwill not be subjected to other than strains incident to drlving.

It will, be obvious from the foregoing that the device is simple, durable, and efficient for the purpose for which it is designed? and that itvis particularly adapted for use in level countries, where swaths of extreme width may be readily out without interference due to abnormal unevenness or irregularity of the ground.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. The combination with a suitablesupport, of a housing, a pair of rotatable sleeves mounted in said housing, a laterally extendmg bar in fixed relation to each sleeve, a

cutter-bar mounted on each of said bars,

rods extending through said sleeves, means for imparting reciprocating motion to said rods, and means interposed between said rods and said cutter bars whereby motion imparted to the former is communicated to thelatter. e

2.The combination with a suitable sup port, of a'housing, a pair of rotatable menibers mounted in said housing, a laterally extending bar in fixed relation to each of said members, a cutter bar mounted on each of said bars, a gear-rack carried by each cutter-bar, a. pinion mounted in operative engagement with eachigear-rack, rods-ex tending through said members and having gear-racks inoperative engagement with said pinions,"and means for imparting rca ciprocatin'g motion to said rods.

3. The combination with a suitable, supf. g

port, of a housing, a pair of rotatable sleeves mounted in said housing, a laterally iextendj mg bar 1n fixed relation to each sleeve, a" cutter-bar mounted on eachjof said bars,-'a-

gear-rack carried by each outter-barya pinion mounted in operative engagement with each gear-rack, and. rcciprocable-ineans operating through sald sleeves and having engagement with said pinio-ns whereby recipe rocatory motion is communlcated to SttlCl.

cutter-bars. v

4. The combination with a suitable sup- I port, of a housing, a pair of rotatable sleeves mounted in said housing, a laterally extending bar carried by the front. end oieach. sleeve, a cutter-bar carried by each. of said bars, rods extending through said sleeves,

means for imparting reciprocatory motion to said rods, means interposed between said rods and said cutter bars whereby motion imparted to the former iscommunicated to the latter, andimeans for rotating said sleeves to elevate the laterally; extending bars. I

The combination with a suitable support, of a housing, a pair of rotatable sleeves mounted in said housing, a laterally extending barcarried by the front end of eachsleeve, a cutter-bar carried by each of said bars, rods extending through said sleeves, means for imparting reciprocatory motion to said rods, means interposed between said rods and said cutter bars where by motion imparted to the former is communicated to thelatter, pinions mounted on said sleeves, andv manually operated means associated with said pinions whereby said elevate the. laterally sleeves are rotated to extending bars.

6. The combination with a suitable sup} port, of a housing, a pair of rotatable sleeves mounted in said housing, a laterally extend ing'bar carried by the frontiend o't' each sleeve, a cutter-bar carried by each of said bars, rods extending through said sleeves, a cross-head inwhich the rear ends of said rods are swiveled, means for reciprocating said cross-head, means interposed between the front ends of said rods and said cutterbars whereby motion imparted to the former is communicated to the latter, and means for elevating the laterally extending bars.

7. The combination with a suitable support, of a housing, a pair of rotatable sleeves mounted in said housing, a supporting member carried by the front end of each sleeve, cutter bars mounted on said supporting members and extending laterally in opposite directions, reds extending through said sleeves, means for imparting reciprocatory motion to said rods, a pinion mounted on each supporting member adjacent to the path of reciproeatory movement of the front end of each rod, a toothed rack formed on a side of each rod and in engagement with the adjacent pinion, and a toothed rack formed on each cutter-bar and in engagement with the adjacent pinion.

8. The combination with a suitable sup port, of a housing, a pair of rotatable sleeves mounted in said housing, a supporting member carried by the front end of each sleeve,

cutter bars mounted on said supporting members and extending laterally in opposite directions, rods extending through said sleeves, means for imparting, reciprocatory motion to said rods, a pinion mounted on each supporting member adjacent to the path of reciprocatory movement of the front end of each rod, a toothed rack formed on a side of each rod and in engagement with the adjacent pinion, a toothed rack formed on each cutter-bar and in engagement with the adjacent pinion, and means associated with each sleeve whereby the latter may be partially rotated for elevating the cutter-bar which is associated therewith.

9. The combination with a suitable sup: port, of a housing, a pair of rotatable sleeves mounted in said houslng, a supporting member carried by the front end of each sleeve,

cutter bars mounted on said supporting members and extending laterally in opposite directions, rods extending through said sleeves, means for imparting reciprocatory motion to said rods, a pinion mounted on each supporting member adjacent to the path of reciprocatory movement of the front end of each rod, a toothed rack formed on a side of each rod and in engagement with the adjacent pinion, a toothed rack formed on each cutter-bar and in engagement with the adjacent pinion, means associated with each sleeve whereby the latter may be partially rotated for-elevating the cutter-bar which is associated therewith, and a hinged apron in protecting relation to each of said pmions.

10. The combination with a suitable support, of a housing, a pair of rotatable sleeves mounted in said housing, a supporting member carried by the front end of each sleeve, cutter bars mounted on said supporting members and. extending laterally in opposite directions, rods extending through said sleeves, means for imparting reciprocatory motion to said rods, a pinion mounted on each supporting member adj aeent to the path of reciprocatory movement of the front end of each red, at toothed rack formed on a ide of each rod and in engagement with the adjacent pinion, a toothed rack formed on each cutter-bar and in engagement with the adjacent pinion, means associated with each sleeve whereby the latter may be partially rotated for elevating the cutter-bar which is associated therewith, and grass-parting means projecting forward in advance of the cutter bars at a point intermediate the latter.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses. J

JAMES VVIGSL'EY BRUCE.

Witnesses:

H. E. DUNLAI, L. D. Monnis.

Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

